Keane has to face inquiry

Roy Keane will be asked to contribute to the Football Association of Ireland's investigation into his World Cup expulsion.

The Manchester United captain, back home in England after a flying visit to his native Cork, has sat out the 2002 finals after a row with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.

Keane was expelled from the Republic's 23-man squad by McCarthy following the pair's infamous bust-up in Saipan a fortnight ago.

The former Irish captain will be invited to add his voice to an investigation currently being established by the FAI into the saga.

FAI chiefs have already enlisted former Olympic athlete John Treacy and the Irish sports council to oversee the independent investigation into their handling on the Keane incident.

The exiled player will be asked to add his contribution to those of McCarthy, his backroom staff, squad members, FAI officials and journalists present at the training camp in Saipan.

"This will be a thorough investigation and Roy Keane will be asked to make a contribution," said a senior FAI source close to the inquiry.

"We want to get to the bottom of exactly what happened in Saipan and understand fully where the FAI were at fault in the whole episode.

"The incident has been very damaging to Irish football and the association and we will do whatever we can to put it right. Roy obviously has his views on what happened and he will be invited to make them known to us.

"We will be contacting his solicitor Michael Kennedy in London and offering Roy the chance to speak his mind."

Keane's international future is still shrouded in doubt after he publicly stated he could never play for McCarthy again in the wake of their Saipan row.

Since then, and in the light of Keane's refusal to apologise to McCarthy for his Pacific island tantrum, the manager's star has been in the ascent. As his team face Saudi Arabia in Yokohama today, McCarthy has FAI officials queuing up to offer him a new four-year contract as Irish manager.

"Nothing will happen with Mick until after the World Cup," said McCarthy's agent Liam Gaskin. "He has more important things than his own future to worry about right now."

Meanwhile, Jason McAteer has made his peace with manager Mick McCarthy, but admitted to almost walking out of the World Cup.

The Sunderland midfielder, substituted at half-time during Ireland's opening match with Cameroon, came close to following Keane home after being dropped for the Republic's 1-1 draw with Germany.

McAteer said: "At one point, I started packing my bags and no amount of persuasion from Steve Staunton and physio Mick Byrne would make me change my mind. I'm glad I've stayed, though.

"When McCarthy said I wasn't playing against Germany, I just couldn't see past myself. I considered picking up the telly and throwing it out of the window."

McAteer was so desperate to play that he even lied to McCarthy about his injured knee, but his plan back-fired.

"Before the Cameroon game I looked Mick straight in the eye and lied," McAteer said. "I had to. The World Cup is the ultimate and I wanted to play.

"The knockout blow last week was delivered by Mick in my room. He told me: 'You're not firing on all cylinders, I don't think you're fit. I'm sticking with the team that started the second half against Cameroon.'"